A PROPOSED CHANGE 

IN THE LAW 

RELATING TO THE 

SALARY OF COUNTY 

SUPERINTENDENTS 

OF 

KANSAS 



^r^ 



AUTHORIZED BY THE 

LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION 

OF THE 

STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIA- 
TION 



n'J 



V"^ %"< 



mi 1-3 T^'i 



CONblflONS IN KANSA§ 

The laws regulating the salary of 
County Superintendents have become 
unjust in operation in many cases 
inasmuch as the conditions have 
changed materially in every county 
of the state since the adoption of 
the present plan. In 1881, the pre- 
sent plan of basing the salary upon 
Certain school population was in- 
augurated, slight changes occurring 
in 1897, 1899, 1901, 190% etc i 



At that time also a limit was plac* 
ed upon certain counties. One coun- 
ty (Saline) has a population of 3264 
school children and employs 102 
school teachers, pays $1200 while an- 
other (Harvey) has a popuiatiorv Of 
3695 and employs 99 teachers and 
pays but $1000. Still another (But> 
ler) has a population of 6200 and 
employs 206 teachers and pays $1200 
per year. The addition of one teach- 
er in Harvey County will make an ad 
ditlon of $200 In the superintendent's 
salary. 

It is evident from the point of 
worl< to be done that if the first 1^ 
paid justly, the other two are treat- 
ed unjustly. 



INEQUALITIES ! 

The following schedule furnishes 
some striking comparisons: 



County 


School 


No. 






Popula 


Teachers 


Sal. 


Saline 


3264 


102 


1200 


Harvey 


3595 


99 


1000 


Sumner 


6402 


227 


1200 


Morton 


320 


15 


540 


Hodgeman 


935 


43 


540 



The above table is taken from re- 
ports of 1910. 

In some western counties it is ne- 
cessary under the present laws for 
thie county superintendent to teach 
in some of the schools of the coun- 
ty so as to make enough money in 
addition to the salary as Superinten- 
cjent to provide living wages. 



In 


many instances the 


Superinten- 


dent 


has teachers 


under 


hlm receiv- 


ing i 


salaries higher 


than 


his own sal- 


^ry. 














,ii 



Comparisons. 

In other states the county superin- 
tendent's salary is out of all propor- 
tions when compared with Kansas. 
In nearly every state county superin- 
tendents are allowed traveling ex- 
penses and mileage in addition to 
salary. 

Below are some figures that should 
be compared with Kansas. 

County Superintendent's Salaries 



State. Minimum. Maximum. 


Kansas 


540 


1200 


Illinois 


1250 


7500 


Colorado 


1000 


2800 


Iowa 


1250 


1500 


Oregon 


800 


1500 


North Dakota 


1000 


2000 


Pennsylvania 


1000 


3500 


Minnesota Not less than $10 




per 


teacher 


1800 


Oklahoma 


600 


1600 


Indiana $4.5C 


1 per day 


2000 



ARGUMENT. 

The plan to base the salary upon 
population, and number of teachers rs 
a wise provision, and if adjusted by 
succeeding legislatures, wilt work no 
hardship upon anyone. However, It 
seems that some scheme might be 
adopted that would readily adjust it- 
self to the changing needs of the 
changing conditions in the various 
counties. If the present plan is con- 
tinued it should be modified so as 
to raise the maximum in the large 
counties and allow an addition on a 
smaller number of teachers in the 
small counties. 

It will be noticed that in the pro- 
posed schedule that every county in 
the state of Kansas may have the 
ths privilege of paying $800. In the 
more thinly populated part of the 
state, counties may pay such part of 
the $800 as may be required to pro- 
cure suitable persons to supervise 
their schools. 



It will be observed further, that 
under the proposed changes jn the 
law, the adjustment in the schedurc' 
of salaries yields more readily to the 
changes in the several counties. Thrs 
change, if accomplished, will be the. 
first material change in any county 
in thirty years. 

The fact should be borne in mind 
4hat every Legislature since 1881 has 
added duties and responsibilities up- 
on the county superintendent, mak- 
ing him at present the most far- 
reaching influence in the whole edu- 
cational system In the state. Thfs 
being true, the salary should be such 
as to attract the strongest men in 
the p ofession to the office of coun- 
ty superintendent which it does not 
do at the present time. 



AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3661 
OF THE GENERAL STATUTES 
OF KANSAS 1909 SAID SECTION 
RELATING TO THE SALARY OF 
THE COUNTY SUPERINTEN- 
DENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 
AND TO REPEAL SAID SECTION. 
Be it enacted by the legislature of 
the State of Kansas: 
Section 1. The county superinten- 
dei.t or public Instruction of the 
sevo. al counties of the state shall 
be allowed by the board of coun,ty 
commissioners of their respective 
counties, as full compensation fop 
their services for the county, the 
following salaries, to be paid out of 
the county treasury, in quarterly In- 
stalments: In counties having a popL 
lation of less than 1200, the county 



ill iiiiiiiiii Nil III III mill III iiiiiiiiiiiiiiD 



superintendent shall receive, for each 
day actually and necessarily emp^ioy- 
ed in the discharge of the duties of 
his office, the sum of four dollars per 
day, for a number of days not to 
exceed 200 in on^ year; in counties 
having a school population of 1200 
to 1500, he shall receive $800 per 
annum; and in counties containing 
more than 1500 persons of school 
age, he shall receive $800, and $20 
per annum for each additional 100 
persons: 

PROVIDED, that no county super- 
intendent shall receive to exceed 
$1500 per annum, and that in deter- 
mining the salaries of the county 
superintendent the school population 
of cities of the first and second 
class shall not be included in the 
territory attached for school pur- 
poses: 



PROVIDED FURTHER, that in 
counties having more than 50 school 
teachers employed, exclusive of those 
employed in cities of the first and 
sscond class, the county commission- 
ers shall add to the salary »s her^^ 
Inbefore provided the sarn of $10f| 
per ^nnum foi each 50 teach«;rs or 
majo/ fraction thereof : 

BE IT PROVIDED FURTHER, that 
if the county jBuperint^ ndent fail to 
spend at least one hour in eacH 
school in the county during the year, 
so as to observe at least one hou|r 
the woi k of each teacher under his 
supervision, the county commission- 
ers shall deduct from the last quar- 
terly installment of his saia y the 
sum of $6 for each delinquency: 



PROVlbED, thai this act shall ridt 

apply to counties having a special 
act fixing the compensation of coun- 
ty superintendent of public instruct 
tion^ 

Section 2. Section, 3661 of the Gem 
eral Statutes of Kansas, 1909 is 
hereby repealed. 

Section 3. This act shall be ef* 
fective on, and after its publication 
in official state paper. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 274 763 4 • 



OTHER SCHOOL 

LEGISLATION 

PROPOSED 

1.— Minimum Term and State Aid 

2. — Larger Unit of School Organ- 
ization. 

3. — Clerks for County Superin- 
tendents. 

4. — Teacher's Certificate Law 

5. — Qualifications for County Su- 
perintendent. 



